We are halfway through the legislative session and the Budget is nearly half done. This is spring break week in Jeff City. When we return we will debate the Budget on the House floor and send it to the Senate.

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Wikipedia link to "Birthers"

Budget shell game as Half time nears
Education cuts and shuffles are best example

The numbers on the Education are still in flux but the programs that have been cut in the House Budget are becoming clear. All teacher training, called professional development has been eliminated. Also the program called Career Ladder that encourages veteran teachers to learn new skills for their careers and provide services to students beyond the normal school day. Parents as Teachers was first trashed then partially restored when it became clear that the program had wide support. But Parents as Teachers suffers huge and disabling cuts under the current budget. The Safe Schools program has been completely eliminated from the budget. Urban Flight and Rural Needs Scholarships are gone.

So with these cuts you would think that given the Proposition A funds the budget should be in good shape with education right? Wrong. It is called fund shifting. In November 2008 voters approved lifting the loss limits for casinos and imposed new fees on the gambling industry. That money was promised to be used all for education. But instead the $108 Million was shifted to General Revenue and the "new money" vanished. Voters were furious last time this happened to the promised money for education but it is yet to be seen if House Republicans can get away with this shell game this time.

When we return from Spring Break on Monday, March 23rd, the House will take up the Budget, debate it on the Floor and send it on to the Senate. Hopefully saner minds will prevail there.

"Birthers" take over tinfoil hat wing of the Republican Party in the Missouri House

Birthers Conspiracy Buffs take over Missouri House Republicans.

Wikipedia covers Mo House conspiracy buffs:

Wikipedia, the online encyclopedia, covers the "Birther Conspiracy". Click on the headline above to go to Wikipedia for the full story. Here is the part about the Missouri House:

"Fifteen Republican members of the Missouri House of Representatives sponsored an amendment to the Missouri Constitution in March 2009 that would require "candidates who are required by the Constitution of the United States to be natural born citizens" to provide a birth certificate to the Missouri Secretary of State to confirm their eligibility. A certificate of live birth would not be accepted. Failure to comply would result in the candidate being deemed ineligible to stand. The only political office to be affected would be the presidency, which is the only position for which there is a specific constitutional citizenship requirement. The proposed amendment is part of a "voter's bill of rights," which would serve "as a defense against corruption, fraud, and tyranny." Political commentators interpreted the proposal as being "aimed at advancing the claims of the fringe movement that doubts President Barack Obama's eligibility to serve as president".[103][104]"

And here is the list of the sponsors from the March 3, 2008 House Journal:

INTRODUCTION OF HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION
The following House Joint Resolution was read the first time and copies ordered printed:
HJR 34, introduced by Representatives Cooper, Brown (149), Stream, Lair, Schoeller, Scharnhorst,Fisher (125), Brown (30), McGhee, Bivins, Funderburk, Nieves, Ervin, Nance, Wells and Davis, relating to a voter's bill of rights.

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